Marysville Joint Unified School District

 

Students and families can feel safe and secure consuming MJUSD served meals. Rest assured, the highest standards of food safety and quality continue to be made with fidelity.

 

Around 5:00 p.m. Monday evening, December 9th, 2019, a parent posted on a public Facebook page reporting that many children were at the Rideout Emergency Room  for stomach illness that he claimed derived from eating the fried chicken lunch served at Linda Elementary School.  It has been confirmed this parent and his four children were at the emergency room last night. Beyond this parent’s initial post, there has been no further claim nor confirmation from the Yuba County Health and Human Services Department, Yuba County Department of Environmental Health Services (YCDEHS) of any other claimed cases, or that there is any connection between the childrens’ illness and the served food. As of 10:00 a.m. today, there are no additional similar claims.

 

The Marysville Joint Unified School District’s (MJUSD) Nutrition Service Department served over two million meals in 2018-2019, abides by the highest health and food preparation standards, and is committed to serving students, staff, and families. The MJUSD and Linda Elementary nutrition teams have been meeting since early this morning to insure all cooking and food preparation standards and procedures were, and are, continuously being followed with fidelity.

 

Breaded chicken was served to over six thousand students yesterday encompassing all elementary sites. The chicken served was purchased pre-cooked. There is no evidence at this time to substantiate any stomach illness is connected with food served yesterday by MJUSD Nutrition Services.

 

Last night MJUSD’s Director of Nutrition Services, Amber Watson, was immediately in contact with Linda Elementary School’s Principal and cafeteria manager along with the Yuba County Department of Environmental Health Services (YCDEHS). YCDEHS inspects Linda Elementary School’s kitchen (along with every district kitchen site) twice a year. Amber shares with me that chicken (which was purchased already-cooked from the food manufacturer) was served at all elementary sites yesterday. It is too soon to determine the actual cause of students’ illness. A preliminary investigation is being conducted. YCDEHS is conducting an investigation to determine any relationship between the food consumed and the pathogens causing the illness. Amber’s team will be reviewing all steps and procedures and providing whatever necessary resources to assist in the investigation. District and site leadership have met with the parent who originally posted the information and are working closely with the parent.

 

“Together, Serving Every Student, Every Day, in Every Way”

 

 

Superintendent

Marysville Joint Unified School District

Phone: (530) 749-6102